The Best of 2014

*For Ladies who lunch (or gentlemen) 
 Julienne in San Merino.  It's the perfect place to meet a friend.  Service is superb as is the food.  I go there every time I'm in the L.A. area.  I feel like I'm in Paris when I am there.  They serve breakfast as well as lunch but not dinner.  Some day I will devote a blog to the restaurant with a photo of their magnificent patio. Around some holidays they have petit fours to take home in their bakery.

*Best Appetizer
P.F. Chang's Green Bean appetizer- Fresh green beans are dipped in a batter and deep fried.  I had them recently over the winter holidays.  I never go there without ordering them.

*Best Beach Front Restaurant (in the San Diego area- 
The Marine Room (in  La Jolla )- Outstanding food in a picture post-card setting.  Go for lunch or dinner or a high-tide breakfast.  Check ahead to see availability.

*Best Special Occasion Meal

The Ahwahnee Hotel 

The Bracebridge Dinner at Yosemite (in the Ahwahnee Hotel).  Dinner packages are available which include overnight stays.  The dining room at the Ahwahnee is drop dead gorgeous anyway but for this occasion it is transformed into an eighteenth century Renaissance hall complete with a seven course feast. Be prepared.  It is pricey!  If you decide to go next year I recommend you read Washington Irving's Christmas Dinner from his sketchbook before you go.  

*Best Eastern Sierra Restaurant

The patio overlooking Mono Lake

The Historic Restaurant at Mono Lake-  It's only open during the warmer months.  Jim O'Mealy is their outstanding chef.  Go during daylight hours to insure a view of Mono Lake.  About a year or so ago I was there while Governor Brown and his wife were there dining.

Amarena Cherries

*Best Restaurant Supply Store
Surfas in Culver City.  It's worth a trip.  They have everything you can't find at Sur la Table.  Last month I found Amarena FABBRI cherries (cherries in syrup).
 I have ordered them from Amazon for the last 2 years.  They are good on ice cream and other desserts.  YUM!!!

Gifts from and for the Kitchen

There are many ways to give cookies.  One way is to give them in a cookie jar.  This makes a great gift for a college man or bachelor.  I gave this moose to son several years ago and he gave it back this year- which made the gift even better.

Me on top-  Gavin below

This year I decorated a small tree with gingerbread cookies.  I also called it a family tree because each cookie represented someone in my family.  Some are more recognizable than others.

When I wrap packages I will take them off the tree and use them as gift tags. Any gingerbread recipe will work.  I used a biscuit cutter and placed them on the cookie sheet- then inserted a piece of a paper straw to make the hole.  Bake them with the straw in place and remove the straw after baking while the cookie is still warm.  Some decorations can be put on before baking- others such as frosting can be added later when the cookies are cool.  Tie them with a red ribbon.  Remember they are fragile.  They can be edible of course but I don't recommend it as they may become hardened after being on the tree.

Paul

Travis

These were some of the most
recognizable cookies.  Travis with red curly hair- Paul in his new sunglasses- Savannah with her ballerina bun (although it doesn't do her justice) and Tim with his red hair and glasses.

Tim

Savannah

There are other ways to give cookies and kitchen gifts.  Look in the grocery store this time of year and you will find inexpensive dishes and boxes.  I packed an assortment of cookies in bottle boxes that were very festive.

Jellies and sauces can be given in clear jars with festive tops meant for bottles.  In the forefront of the photo, I poured Cinnamon Whiskey Sauce in a small wine carafe and topped it with a cork decorated with Santa coming down the chimney.  Next to the sauce in a jar of Tomato Marmalade I made last fall.  It was topped with a snowman wearing a scarf I found in a Laguna Beach shop.  

Hand Knit Dish cloths

Almost every year I make dishcloths to give to friends.I use fine cotton yarn is bright colors and knit them with number 2 or 3 needles as you would use on a baby sweater.  My favorite yarn is by Katia.
The dish cloth is more sanitary than a sponge to do dishes.  It can go through the dishwasher in the basket when you do your dishes or thrown in the washing machine.

Cast on 4 stitches.  Row 1: Knit.
Row 2: K 2 sts, K to end of row.  Repeat row 2 until you are satisfied with the size (you are half done). Next row: K 1, k 2 tog., YO, k 2 tog, k to end. Continue the last row until 4 stitches remain.  K 4 sts and bind off.    

A Perfect Hostess Gift

The holiday season is the time we are most often invited to dinners or parties.  The usual guest often arrives with a bottle of wine.  The alternative could be to arrive with a dozen Cranberry Tassies in an egg carton. Tassies are traditional Southern desserts similar to tiny tarts. This hostess gift will guarantee to make you a popular guest even if you don't know anyone at the party.   This version is done in a microwave oven.  I bake the tassies in one carton and  have a clean carton and fresh paper liners to use as the "gift wrap".  If the tassies should emit smoke during cooking, this could be due to inconsistencies in the wattage of different ovens.  If this should happen stop the cooking process for a minute or two.     

Cranberry Tassies:

                               

1 4-ounce package cream cheese

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon butter, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup brown sugar, packed tightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash salt

½ cup fresh cranberries, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped pecans

Soften the cream cheese and 1/2 cup of butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on HIGH 10-20 seconds until the mixture can be stirred easily.  Blend in the flour.  Chill the pastry.  When chilled, roll out into 24 1-inch balls.  Place each ball into a paper liner which has been placed in the egg carton.  Push in the center of the ball with your thumb, forming a depressed area to be used for the filling.  Microwave on HIGH 2 minutes rotating after 1 minute.

Beat together the egg, 1 tablespoon of butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt.  Stir in the cranberries and pecans.  Place one small spoonful of filling in each shell.  Microwave on HIGH two minutes, rotating once.  Watch carefully, filling will bubble up and may be very hot.  Remove from carton carefully.  Repeat procedure with remaining tassies.  Cool before removing from the carton.

If you plan to deliver them as a hostess gift, you will need a clean carton and fresh paper liners.  When the tarries are cool, take them out of their papers (which are most likely sticky) and put them in fresh paper liners.  Pack them in a clean egg carton and tie with a ribbon.